Delayed Arrivals
by Follower38
Summary: Humanity entered the galactic community only a few decades before the beginning of the next cycle of the Reapers. Yet, what if they had been delayed? Even if only by a century, as the last of the Reapers were leaving, Humanity is the now the new and only galactic super power. Rallying what few survivors remain from the cycle, Humanity begins to prepare for the return of the Reapers


Delayed Arrivals

Summary: Humanity drew the short end of the stick. Humanity entered the galactic community only a few decades before the beginning of the next cycle of the Reapers. Yet, what if they had been delayed? Even if only by a century, as the last of the Reapers were leaving, Humanity is the now the new and only galactic super power. Rallying what few survivors remain from the cycle, Humanity begins to prepare for the return of the Reapers. And this time, they will be ready. Fifty Thousand years is a long time to prepare.

A/N: This is just a pilot chapter for a random idea I had. Tell me what you think of it and depending on reception, this maybe project number 4. Codex Entry explaining alternate history below.

Status of Other stories: APUFMKII: Edit underway. Next chapter in progress.

Mass Effect: New Arrivals V2: WIP. Collab writer indisposed.

Mass Effect: inFamous: Voting complete. Work begun on Mass Effect: inFamous MKII

Serpent Nebula: Citadel Station

Galactic Calendar: ** Translating**

Earth Calendar: June 16, 52185

Human/SSV Titan-Class Battle-cruiser 'Zeus'

"Citadel Control this SSV-BC 'Zeus' request permission to dock. VIP is onboard for meeting. Repeat, VIP is onboard." The Asari pilot called over the com. Piloting the massive two and half kilometer long battle-cruiser. To her right was a human male, her copilot. The rest of the bridge crew was human of varying ages and ethnicities, another Asari and a single BH.*

"SSV-BC 'Zeus' this is Citadel Control. Permission granted. Head for Docking bay Alpha-46. Security team is waiting for you arrival." A voice replied, rough and distinctly male. "You all have a good day now."

"Roger that Citadel Control. This is SSV-BC 'Zeus' heading to Docking bay Alpha-46. Same to you." With that the Asari pilot shut off the com. Her hands a blur as she maneuvered the massive vessel towards the central tower of the Citadel, all around them, literally _Thousands _of ships, ranging from personal luxury vessels and merchant ships, to warships ranging from three hundred meters of the corvettes and frigates, to battle-cruisers like the 'Zeus' at two and half kilometers long to the truly titanic Kraken-Class dreadnoughts, the smallest sitting at over four kilometers. The 'Zeus's cockpit was soon shadowed as it passed underneath one of the Krakens, the 'Chronos' named after the Greek Titan and father of the original Greek Gods and Goddesses. The 'Zeus' was just one of over now three dozen SSV-BCs now at the Citadel.

Meanwhile, on the Citadel station itself, at Docking Bay Alpha-46. A security team of two dozen stood at the ready. A mixture of Asari, Human, BH, and a rare Turian, all heavily armed and armored. Wearing Hades-Class Series-X armor and carrying their choice of personal armaments. They didn't so much as flinch as the warship moved in and docked with the station. Moving into an honor guard line, they stood at attention. Soon the doors began to open, letting onto the station one of the most important people in the known galaxy. Member of the Citadel Council: Shepard.

Codex Entry: Human History 22nd-23rd Century

Subject: Prothean Archives: Mars Facitilty

The discovery of the near unprecedented intact Prothean data archives on Mars catapulted Humanity two hundred years technologically. The knowledge granted gave Humanity a gateway to the stars. Knowledge of the archives became public information when a Prothean VI by the name Derius, following its programming, hacked the Systems Alliance communications network and broadcast and uploaded the existence of the Prothean archives to every linked system, ranging from the entire military data infrastructure to school servers to personal computers. To prevent public unrest from being denied access to the archives, the Alliance military brings full disclosure of the Prothean archives and allows a degree of public access. A constant stream of individuals apply, are screened, tested and if approved are allowed to work and explore the Prothean database. However, new technologies were not the only boon to be granted. A secondary layer of information, hidden beneath the primary layer where knowledge of Eezo, Mass Effect and other such information was discovered, as the intact and full history of the Protheans: including their war with the Reapers. Eventually, a young programming prodigy by the name of Jacob Harper, discovers the hidden secondary layer. Discovering the whole and detailed history of the Protheans. The discovery of the now named Prothean-Reaper war nearly caused an intersystem panic until it was pointed out that the Reapers would not know of Humanity's existence as long as they had not used the Mass Relays. At this point it time, despite the boon from the archives, colonization and exploration had only gone as far as the moons of Neptune and Jupiter. At that point on, great efforts were made to create an alternate means of FTL travel aside from Eezo assisted means, along with alternate means of ship propulsion and construction. The Mass Relay in the local cluster was discovered after a few decades.

In the late 22nd, early 23rd century, the decision had been made to finally engage and travel through the Mass Relay. Finding no Reapers on the other side, a massive colonization movement was underway. Soon discovering the Citadel and a plethora of other worlds.

On March 14, 2216, SSV-Cruiser 'Prosecutor' discovers the of a radio transmission emanating from a Nebula near what is now called the Exodus Cluster. What they find is a flotilla made of the survivors of the previous cycle that end just a few short decades ago. Consisting of what is now known as the Survivors, the member species included the Turian, Asari, Quarian, Salarian and Drell, which are the only five species discovered amongst the Survivors that still thrive as members of the Alliance to this day. Other species amongst the Survivors include the Volus, Krogan, Elcor, and Batarians. Of which, only the Krogan survive to this day and are not members of the Council. The Volus and Elcor species became extinct in 2387 with the death of the last of both species within days of each other. The Krogan have scattered into the Galaxy on distant worlds. Keeping to themselves, what is known about their current society is that is now a matriarchy. The Batarians as they were known during the Reign of the Council Era, as the previous cycle is now called, have been rendered extinct but their descendants still live. On the designated colony world for the Batarians, a geneticist whose name has lost to history, altered the Batarian Genome, allowing for hybridization with humans. The resulting hybrids for all intents and purposes were virtually identical to normal humans; the only differences were a darker skin tone, completely black eyes, teeth similar to Batarians and tougher skin. These hybrids are now classified as Batarians-Humans or BHs and have since replaced the original Batarians. The hybrids can still copulate with normal humans.


End file.
